Apparatus for the removal and dumping of spent tanbark.



PATENTED OUT. 13, 1903,

. H. BRANIFF. APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL AND DUMPING OF SPENITANBARK.

APPLICATION FILED APRJB, 1902.

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No. 741,300 PATENTEDOO'T. 13, 1903.

H. BRANIFF.

APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL AND DUMPING OF SPENT TANBARK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1902. NO MODEL.

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NlTED STATES Patented October 13, 1903.

PATENT @rri cn.

HENRY BRANIFF, OF BERLIN, CANADA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,300, datedOctober 13, 19031. Application filed April 16, 1902. Serial No. 103,245. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY BRANIFF, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Berlin,in the county of Waterloo, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a new and useful Machine for the Removal and Dumping of Spent Tanbark, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for removing spent tanbark from tanbark leaches, vats, or tanks; and it consists of the improved construction and novel combination of parts, as-will be hereinafter firstfully set forth and described and then pointed out in the claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tanbark-removing mechanism embodying myinvention.

In this view the vat or tank in which it is operatingisshowninsection. Fig.2isasideview, on a larger scale, of the upper portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. In this view the large gear-wheel and attachments supported thereon are shown at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 1. One of the drums and the standard or chair which supports the shaft to which said drum is secured is removed, the side timbers on the front side of the track and carriage are partly cut away, and the hubs and bearing-boxes located between the timbers of the carriage and track are shown in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the carriage and mechanism supported thereon and its supportingtrack. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of the machine on the line no so of Fig. 2. In this view the tanbark leach, vat, or tank is not shown.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates the track sills or timbers on which the track-rails 2 are secured, and 3 the carriage, the wheels 4 of which are fitted to said rails, as shown particularly in Fig. 4.

5 designates bearing-boxes which extend across or bridge the space between and which are secured at theirends to the track sills or timbers 1.

6 designates a collar or bushing located in the bearing-boxes 5, which collar is formed with the lateral rim-flange 7, which rests on said bearing-boxes 5, by which said bushing is supported in and prevented from falling through said bearing-boxes, and said collar is also provided with the upwardly-projecting annular lip or flange 8 to hold the lubricant on the upper end of said collar.

9 designates a hub which is adapted to rofate in the collar or bushing 6, which hub is provided with the lateral rim-flange 10, by which it is supported in and prevented from falling through said collar or bushing 6, and in this hub 9 a central opening 11 and two oblong openings 12 at suitable distances from the center are formed, and set into the inner face of this hub 9 is a fast feather or key 13.

14 designates a tanbark leach, vat, or tank provided with the bottoms 15 and 16, through which the opening 17 is formed, and secured to the bottom 16 and supported thereby is a sleeve 18. 19 designates a block located centrally in said tanbark-leach 14 and provided with a socket 20. 21 designates a non-adjustable rotating Vertical shaft in which. a keyseat 22 is formed, and the lower end of said shaft 21 rests in the socket 20 of the block 19, and the upper end of said shaft is rigidly keyed and secured to the hub 9 by the key 23. 24 designates tanbark in said vat 14, and 25 a hole or opening formed through said tanbark and in line with the opening 17 in the bottoms 15 and 16.

26 designates a cross-head in which a central opening 27 is formed, and 28 designates a fast feather or key set into said cross-head vertically in the central opening therein, and the shaft 21 is fitted to said opening 27 in said cross-head 26 and the fast feather or key 28 to the key-seat 22 in said shaft, so that when the shaft 21 extends through said cross-head the latter slides perfectly free up and down on said shaft and at the same time is rotated by and with it.

29 designates arms which are rigidlysecured at their inner ends to the cross-head .26.

3O designates conveying flights or blades, a number of which are secured to the arms 29, and said conveying flights or blades are located below and at an angle to said arms 29.

31 designates scrapers one of which is secured to each arm 29 parallel orin line therewith and in line with the holes or openings 25 and 17 in the tanbark 24 and bottom of the vat 14, respectively.

32 designates bearing-boxes which extend across or bridge the space between and which are secured atjtheir ends to the side sills or timbers b of the carriage 3. e

33 designates a collar or bushinglo cated in the bearing-boxes 32, which collar is formed -with the lateral rim-flange 34, and the latter rests on said bearing-boxes 32 to support the collar or bushing 33 and to prevent it from falling through said bearing-boxes 32, and said collar 33 is also provided with the upwardly-projecting annular lip or flange 35 to hold the lubricant on said collar;

36 designates a gear-wheel the hub 37 of which rests on and within the lip 35 of the collar or bushing 33, and c is an extension of said hub 37, which is fitted to and rotates freely in said bushing or collar 33, and in this hub 37 .the central opening 38 and two oblong openings 39 at suitable distances from the center are formed, and set into the inner face of said hub 37 is a fast feather or key 40.

41 designates a coupling-shaft in which a key-seat 42 is formed,and the fast feathers or keys 13 and in the hubs 9 and 37 are fitted to said key-seat 42, and.said shaft 41 is fitted to and adapted to be adjusted vertically in the central opening 38 in the hub 37 and in the upper portion of the central opening 11 in the hub 9, and said shaft 41 is provided with handles 43, by which said shaft may be vertically adjusted by hand-power.

44 designates standards secured to the webs or other suitable portions of the gear-wheel 36, 45 a shaft which is held in place and rotates perfectly free in hearings in said standards 44, and 46 a worm or endless screw which is fixed on said shaft 45, and a portion 01 at either end of said shaft 45 is formed square to fit a square hole in a crank-handle to perunit said shaft to be operated by hand-power.

47 designates a toothed wheel which is adapted to be placed on either end of shaft 45 and held to rotate with said shaft 45 by forming a key-slot in one and providing the other with a fast feather or key fitted to said slot, and said toothed wheel 47 is held at the desired position lengthwise on said shaft by a pin 48, extending through pinholes formed in the hub of said wheel47 and in said shaft 45.

49 designates a toothed rack which is provided with removable teeth, and 50 a support for same,and said toothed rack is so arranged as to be engaged with by the toothed wheel 47 on the shaft 45, so that .as the gear-wheel 36 rotates and carries around with it the shaft 45 and toothed wheel 47 as the latter passes J over and engages with said toothed rack said 'toothed wheel 47 will be operated, as well as said shaft 45,. and more or less according to the number of teeth inserted in said toothed rack 49.

51 designates standards also secured to the webs or other suitable portions of the gearwheel 36, in hearings in which standards the shaft 52 is held in place and rotates perfectly free and at right angles to shaft 45.

53 designates a worm wheel, and54 ropedrums fixed on the shaft 52, and said wormwheel 53 is adapted to engage with the worm 46 on the shaft 45.

55 designates wire ropes, two of which are employed, and each wire rope is connected at one end to a drum 54. They then extend down through the oblong openings 39 and 12 in the hubs 37 and 9, respectively, and are connected at their other ends to the crosshead 26 to suspend the latter in the vat 14.

56 designate standards secured to the frame of the carriage 3, 57 a shaft held in place and rotating perfectly free in hearings in said standards,and 58 a beveled gear-pinion fixed on said shaft 57 and adapted to engage with the beveled gear-wheel 36.

59 designates a chain or sprocket wheel fixed on shaft 57.

The track-timbers 1, provided with trackrails 2, extend over as many leaches or vats 14 as desired, and there are as many bearing-boxes 5 and hubs 9 as there are leaches or vats 14, a bearing-box 5 and hub 9 being secured to said track-timbers 1 about centrally above each leach or vat, and there is a vertical shaft 21, cross-head 26, arms 29, and attachments in each vat or tank 14, and after the tanbark 24 has been leached the bottoms 15 and 16 are opened at 17, as shown in Fig. 1. Then by means of a crowbar or other suitable implement a round hole or opening 25 is formed through said tanbark,

which opening 25 communicates with the opening 17, and said openings 25 and 17 are in line with one another, as well as in line -with the scrapers 31 on the arms 29 of the cross-head 26.

Motion is communicated to this machine by a chain or link belt passing over the sprocketwheel 59, or it may be communicated thereto in any manner or by any means found most suitable or convenient, and as motion is com- -municated to the sprocket-wheel 59 it rotates, and being fixed on the shaft 57 the latter, as %well as the gear-pinion 58, fixed thereon, also rotates, and said pinion 58 engaging with the gear-wheel 36 the latter, as well as the shafts '41 and 21, the hubs 9 and 37, and the crosshead 26, to which the arms 29 are secured,

also rotate, and the conveying flights or blades 30 are arranged at such an angle to the arms 29 that as the latter rotate the flights plow a thin layer off the upper portion of the tanbark 24 and convey it from one to the other until it is delivered in front of the scrapers 31, which carry it to the opening 25,

down which it falls, and through the opening 17 to the sleeve 18, and said openings 25 and 17 may be at any one or more points in the vat 14 as found most suitable or convenient for the delivery of the spent tanbark, and the fiigh ts 30 may be so set as to adapt them to plow and convey said tanbark toward or from the center or to whatever point or points the scrapers 31 are located, and as said gear-wheel 36 rotates it carries around with it the shaft 45, on which the toothed wheel 47 and worm 46 are secured, and as said toothed wheel 47 passes over the toothed rack 49 it is revolved by engaging with said toothed rack. This revolves the worm 46, wormwheel 53, and shaft 52, together with the ropedrums 54, and unwinds the wire ropes 55 from said drums, which lowers the cross-head 26 to maintain an automatic feed of the plowing flights or blades 30 on the tanbark, and the extent of the feed is regulated according to the number of teeth set into the toothed rack 49, which regulates, through the wire ropes 55, the travel of the cross-head 26 and arms 29 when the machine is in operation, so that while the machine is in operation the feed will be automatic. As a result, from the time the flights and scrapers commence at the top until they work down to the bottom of the vat 1A and all the tanbark removed no attendance on the machine is necessary. Again, after the tanbark is all removed the cross-head and arms, with attachments to the latter, may be automatically raised by securing the toothed Wheel 47 on the opposite end of the shaft 45, which would rotate the worm A6 in the opposite direction and wind the wire rope 55 on the drums 5a and raise said cros head 26 and attachments, and, again, this machine could be operated by means of a crank-handle secured on the square end d of the shaft 45 to raise or lower the cross-head, and thus operate the machine by hand-power, and, again, by means of the handles 43 the shaft 41 could be raised out of the hub 9, and by disengaging the ropes 55 from the crosshead 26, after first suspending it by hangers from the track-timbers 1 and drawing the ropes 55 up through the openings 12 in the hub 9, the carriage 3,with its machinery, could be moved on the track-rails 2 to another leach, vat, or tank, when by, extending the ends of the ropes 55 through the openings 12 in the hub 9 above this succeeding vat and engaging them with the cross-head in the same vat the operation hereinbefore described could be repeated, and so on until the tanhark was removed from all the vats. As a result a machine is provided which has a cross-head 26, rotating with a non-adjustable rotating shaft 21, and the same crosshead provided with arms 29, having plowing and conveying flights or blades 30, which may be set at different angles in relation to said arms to plow and convey the tanbark either to or from the center of the leach or vat l4, and a'scraper 31, secured to each arm and parallel or in line therewith to carry the material so plowed into their radius by said flights or blades to any point on the surface of the material, according to the setting of said flights and scrapers, and dumping it through an opening in the bottom of the leach or vat, and one in which automatic means are provided for low ering said cross-head and arms, so as to maintain the proper working feed on the tanbark and also to raise or lower said cross-head and arms when desired and at a speed independent of the speed of the other parts of the machine, and one in which a carriage with all its machinery is portable, so that as many leaches or vats as desired along its track may be served by the one carriage and its machinery.

This invention has been described in connection with the removal of tanbark from tanbark leaches, vats, or tanks; but it may be used with equal advantage for removing other such or similar class of substance from other leaches, vats, 0r tanks.

I have found by experiment that the construction, herein shown and described gives the best results. At the same time, while I prefer said construction, I do not wish to limit myself to the details thereof, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. In a machine of the class described, a non-adjustable rotating vertical shaft, means for supporting and operating the same, a cross-head adapted to rotate with and to be adjusted vertically on said shaft, and arms secured to said cross-head, in combination with scrapers secured to said arms for moving material from one point to another, and flights or conveying-blades arranged at an angle to and secured to said arms for conveying said material to and in the path of said scrapers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine of the class described, a non-adjustable rotating vertical shaft, a hub rigidly secured to the upper end thereof, means for supporting and operating said hub and said shaft, across-head adapted to rotate with and to be adjusted vertically on said shaft and arms secured to said cross-head, in combination With scrapers secured to said arms for moving material from one point to another, and flights or conveying-blades ar-' ranged at an angle to and secured to said arms, for conveying said material to and in the path of said scrapers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine of the class described, a non-adjustable rotating vertical shaft, a hub rigidly secured to the upper end thereof, means for supporting and operating said hub and said shaft, a cross-head adapted to rotate with and to be adjusted vertically on said shaft, and arms secured to said cross-head, in combination with scrapers securedto said arms for moving material from one pointto another, and flights or conveying-blades arranged at an angle to and secured to said arms, said flights or conveyingblades being located at both sides of said scrapers, and the flights or con veying-blades, at one sideof said scrapers being arranged at a different angle to those on the other side, to convey said material in cppositedirections to and in the path of said scrapers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ICC

4. In a machine of the class described, a leach, vat or tank, in the bottom of which a hole or opening is formed, in combination with a non-adjustable rotating vertical shaft, means for supporting and operating the same, a cross-head adaptedto rotate with and to be adjusted vertically on said shaft, arms secured to said cross-head, scrapers secured to said arms, for moving the material contained in said leach, vat or tank to a point above the'hole or opening formed in the bottom thereof, and flights or conveying-blades arranged at an angle to and secured to said arms for conveying said material to and in the path of said scrapers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' 5. In a machine of the class described, a leach, vat or tank, in the bottom of which and at a suitable distance from the center a hole or opening is formed, and secured centrally to the bottom of which is a block in which a socket is formed, in combination with a nonadjustable rotating vertical key-seated shaft, the lower end of which is inserted in said socket in said block, a hub rigidly secured to the upper end of said shaft, and means for supporting and operating said hub, a crosshead provided with a fast feather or key to adapt it to rotate with and at the same time to be adjusted vertically on said shaft, arms secured to said cross-head, scrapers secured to said arms for moving the material contained in said leach, vat or tank to a point above the hole or opening in the bottom thereof, and flights or conveying-blades arranged at an angle to and secured to said arms, for conveying said material to and in the path of said scrapers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a machine of the class described, a leach, vat or tank, in the bottom of which and at a suitable distance from the center an opening is formed, in combination with a nonadjustable rotating vertical shaft to the upper end of which a hub is rigidly secured, means for supporting and operating said hub and said shaft, a cross-head adapted to rotate with and to be adjusted vertically on said shaft, arms secured to said cross-head, scrapers secured to said arms for moving the material contained in said leach, vat or tank to a point above the hole or opening formed in the bottom thereof, and flights or conveying-blades arranged at an angle to and secured to said arms, said flights or conveyingblades being located at both sides of said scrapers, and the flights or conveying-blades at one side of said scrapers being arranged at a different angle to those at the other side, to convey said material in opposite directions to said scrapers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a machine of the class described, a non-adjustable rotating vertical shaft 21, a hub 9 rigidly secured to the upper end of said shaft, a cross head 26 adapted to rotate with and to :be adjusted vertically on said shaft, arms 29 secured to said cross-head and scrapers 31 and flights or conveying-blades 30 secured to said arms, in combination with a gear-wheel 36, a vertically-adjustable shaft 41 extending through the hub of said gearwheel and into the hub 9, and adapted to r0- .tate with and at the same time be vertically shaft, a cross-head 26 adapted to rotate with and to be adjusted vertically on said shaft, arms 29 secured to said cross-head, and scrapers 31 and flights or conveying-blades 30 secured to said arms, in combination with a gear-wheel 36, a wheeled carriage 3 for supporting said gear-wheel, a vertically-adjustable shaft 41 extending through the hub of said gear-wheel and into the hub 9, and adapted to rotate with and at the same time be vertically adjustable in said hub 9 and said gearwheel, and means for operating the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a machine of the class described, a non-adj ustable rotating vertical shaft,a crosshead adapted to rotate with and to be adjusted vertically on said shaft, arms secured to said cross-head, and scrapers and flights or conveying blades secured to said arms, in combination with a gear-wheel, in which at suitable distances from the center oblong openings are formed, a shaft 52 rotating in bearings secured to said gear-wheel, a worm- Wheel and rope-drums fixed on said shaft 52, ropes, each secured at one end to a rope-drum, and extending through said oblong openings in said gear-wheel, and their other ends secured to said cross-head, and means for operating said gear-wheel and for communicating motion from the latter to said non-adjustable rotating vertical shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a machine of the class described, a non-adj ustable rotating vertical shaft,a crosshead adapted to rotate with and to be adj usted vertically on said shaft, arms secured to said cross-head, and scrapers and flights or conveying-blades secured to said arms, in combination with a gear-wheel through the hub of which at suitable distances from the center oblong openings are formed, a shaft 52.

mounted in bearings secured to said gearwheel, a worm-wheel and rope-drums fixed on said shaft 52, ropes, each secured at one end to one of said rope-drums and extending through said oblong openings in said gearwheel, and secured at their other ends to the cross-head 26 a shaft 45 mounted in bearings secured to said gear-wheel and at right angles to the shaft 52, a worm 46 and toothed wheel 47 fixed on said shaft 45, and a toothed rack 49 secured to a stationary support 50, and said worm and toothed wheel adapted to 'zansoo engage with said Worm-wheel and toothed rack respectively, and means for supporting and operating said gear-Wheel, and for communicating motion from the latter to said non-adjustable rotating vertical shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a machine of the class described, a non-adjustable rotating vertical shaft 21, a hub 9 rigidly secured to the upper end of said shaft, through which hub at suitable distances from the center oblong openings 12 are formed, a cross-head adapted to rotate with and to be adjusted vertically on said shaft, arms secured to said cross head, scrapers and flights or conveying-blades secured to said arms, in combination with a gear-wheel 36 through the hub of which at suitable dis tances from the center oblong openings 39 are formed, a vertically-adjustable shaft 41 extending through the hub of said gear-wheel and into the hub 9, and adapted to rotate with said hub and said gear-wheel, a shaft 52 mounted in bearings secured to said gearwheel, a worm-wheel and rope-drums fixed on said shaft 52, ropes, each secured at one end to one of said rope-drums and extending through said oblong openings 39 and 12 in said gear-wheel and hub 9 respectively, and secured at their other ends to the cross-head 26, a shaft 45 mounted in bearings secured to said gear-wheel and at right angles to the shaft 52, a Worm 46 and toothed Wheel 47 fixed on said shaft 45, a toothed rack 49 secured to a stationary support 50, and said Worm and toothed Wheel adapted to engage with said worm-Wheel and toothed rack respectively, and means for supporting and operating said gear-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In a machine of the class described, a gear-wheel, and means forsupporting and operating the same, a worm-wheel shaft mounted in bearings secured to said gear-wheel, a worm-Wheel and rope-drums fixed on said shaft, ropes, each secured at one end to said rope-drums, a cross-head secured to the other end of said ropes, arms secured to said crosshead and flights and scrapers secured to said arms, in combination with a wormpinion shaft mounted in bearings secured to said gear-wheel and at right angles to the worm- Wheel shaft, a worm pinion and toothed wheel fixed on said shaft, and a toothed rack secured to a stationary support and adapted to be engaged with by said toothed wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a machine of the class described, a gear-wheel,and means for operating the same, a wheeled carriage for supporting said gearwheel, a worm-wheel shaft mounted in bearings secured to said gear-wheel, a wormwheel and rope-drums fixed on said shaft, and ropes each secured at one end to one of said drums, in combination with a worm-pinion shaft mounted in bearings secured to said gear-wheel and at right angles to the Wormwheel shaft, aWorm-pinion and toothed wheel fixed on said Worm-pinion shaft, a toothed rack and a support for said toothed rack secured to said wheeled carriage and adapted to be engaged with by said toothed wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

14. In a machine of the class described, a gear-Wheel, a Wheeled carriage for supporting said gear-wheel, a shaft mounted in bearings secured to said carriage, a gear-pinion and sprocket or link Wheel fixed on said shaft, and said gear-pinion adapted to engage with said gear-wheel, a vertical shaft extending through said gear-wheel and adapted to rotate with and to be adjusted vertically in said gear-wheel, a worm-Wheel shaft mounted in bearings secured to said gear-Wheel, a wormwheel and rope-drums fixed on said worm- Wheel shaft, and ropes, each secured at one end to one of said drums, in combination with a worm-pinion shaft mounted in bearings secured to said gear-wheel and at right angles to the Worm-Wheel shaft, a worm-pinion and toothed Wheel fixed on said wormpinion shaft, a toothed rack, and a support for said toothed rack secured to said wheeled carriage and adapted to be engaged with by said toothed wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY BRANIFF.

Witnesses:

HENRY LANG, WM. FORWELL, 

